Apple price target raised to $155 from $115 at OppenheimerOppenheimer increased its price target on Apple as the firm expects the company's Apple Watch to be superior to the competition in several ways, and believes that it is "an efficient extension of the smartphone" and "a facilitator of intimate personal communications." The firm predicts that the device will significantly boost Apple's revenue and margins. Oppenheimer keeps an Outperform rating on Apple.

Piper says Apple Watch price could approach $600Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes the average selling price for the upcoming Apple Watch could be closer to $575-$600, above his current estimate of $500, when adding in additional bands. Munster sees the potential for higher segment gross margins than previously thought. He points out his 2015 Watch estimate remains at 8M units, well below the Street's 14M. Munster keeps an Overweight rating on Apple with a $160 price target.

Apple Watch expected to be available outside U.S. in April, 9to5Mac reportsThe Apple Watch will not be exclusive to the United States when it launches next month, reports 9to5Mac. According to employees in attendance when CEO Tim Cook spoke at the Berlin Apple Store last week, Cook said the watch will launch in Germany during the same month as the U.S. Reference Link

Samsung Pay could 'dwarf' Apple Pay, says JefferiesJefferies says Samsung Pay has the potential to "dwarf" Apple (AAPL) Pay since it targets the vast majority of currently installed payment terminals which utilize conventional magstripe technology, versus Apple's payment system which is limited in its acceptance by the availability of NFC-capable terminals. Jefferies believes Samsung's Galaxy S6/S6 Edge integrates Magnetic Secure Transmission technology acquired from LoopPay within its batteries. It views Samsung Pay as the biggest positive surprise of Samsung's new phone.

Apple price target raised to $160 from $133 at Morgan StanleyMorgan Stanley raised Apple's price target to $160 and increased its bull cast to $190 based on the accelerated pace of category expansion. The firm believes the strong platform creates a "halo effect" as users buy multiple devices and added services and software, which attracts more developers and partners and improves the entire ecosystem. Shares are Overweight rated.

Apple CEO says consumers will find many reasons to admire watch, Telegraph saysApple CEO Tim Cook said that people will buy Apple's Apple Watch for one reason, and then discover that they like it for many reasons, according to The Telegraph. The watch will give users rewards if they hit exercise goals and could be used to replace car keys and security fobs used by many vehicles, the newspaper quoted Cook as saying. Reference Link

Apple hiring engineers to work on virtual reality products, 9to5Mac reportsApple is hiring hardware engineers to work on virtual reality products, according to 9to5Mac, which cites job listings that have appeared this week. According to the ads, Apple is seeking to hire a Senior Display Systems Engineer for "display systems design and development related to VR environments" and a Senior Display Software Engineer to support graphics software engineering efforts for VR environments. Reference Link

Texas company sues Apple over additional alleged patent violations, Reuters saysThe Texas company that on Tuesday won a $533M patent infringement verdict against Apple (AAPL) is launching another patent lawsuit against the iPhone maker, according to Reuters. Filed Wednesday night, the new lawsuit addresses technology used by Apple devices that were launched after the previous case began, the news service stated. Reference Link

Apple price target raised to $150 from $130 at StifelStifel increased its price target on Apple as the firm thinks the company "has more than enough capacity" to increase its dividend to $2.30-$2.40 per share. The firm indicates that it believes that Apple can reduce its tax rate. Stifel keeps a Buy rating on the stock.

Apple near-term capital return could be less than expected, says UBSUBS said they believe Apple could take a near-term breather on capital returns due to potential U.S. tax reform, increased dependence on debt issuance for stock buyback funding, and the potential for its board to wait for more clarity on repatriation. UBS reiterated its Buy rating and $150 price target on Apple shares.

Apple's market cap hits nearly $775B, CNBC reportsApple's (AAPL) market cap has reached nearly $775B after the stock closed at a record on Monday, up over 2.7% to $133, CNBC reports. Exxon Mobil (XOM) has a market cap of about $377B. Reference Link

Apple electric car could be 'iPhone of the Future,' says CantorCantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White says he believes an electric car from Apple has the potential to be the "iPhone of the Future." White, in a note to investors today, added that he doubts Apple's reach will stop there. He believes the personal robot category offers "great potential over the next decade and fits well with Apple's skill set." White thinks the reports of an electric car show innovation at the tech giant continues. He keeps a Buy rating Apple shares with a $160 price target. The stock is up 30c it morning trading to $128.71.

Apple pushing for 2020 production of its electric car, Bloomberg saysApple (AAPL) is pushing to begin production of its electric vehicle as soon as 2020, reports Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Bloomberg notes that the move could put Apple into direct competition with Tesla (TSLA) and General Motors (GM), both of which are targeting a 2017 release for next-generation electric vehicles. Apple may still cancel the project if it becomes unhappy with progress, the sources said, though its vehicle team is already 200-people strong. Reference Link

Apple price target raised to $145 on increasingly bullish outlook at GoldmanGoldman raised Buy rated Apple's price target to $145 from $130 based on increased confidence in platform momentum, sustained iPhone growth, and the potential for the Apple Watch. The firm believes risk/reward is more balanced following the recent 20% upside move but sees further upside given the aforementioned factors and the near-term catalysts from the April watch launch, updates on capital allocation, and a likely March quarter beat.

Apple could return $150B-$200B to shareholders, says RBC CapitalRBC Capital believes that Apple could return $150B-$200B to its shareholders over the next three years. The firm expects the company to return 100% of its annual free cash flow to shareholders. It raised its price target on the name to $140 from $130 and keeps an Outperform rating on the stock.

Apple Pay faces resistance from China, MarketWatch saysApple (AAPL) is attempting to launch Apple Pay in China, but a People's Bank of China official stated the company has not acknowledged regulators and "it's unclear whether the product meets the government’s requirements,” while talks with state-owned card payment operator UnionPay "have stalled" according to sources close to the companies, reports MarketWatch. Alibaba (BABA) currently operates the similar Alipay service and an Alibaba employee stated the two companies "have stayed in contact and are preparing for several projects," but because all payments go through UnionPay, Apple's entry into the market is ultimately controlled by the state-owned firm. The Chinese government has raised numerous concerns regarding Apple Pay, and is demanding the company open a mainland China data center to house customer information. Reference Link